Governor Evers signs xylazine testing strip bill

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - Governor Tony Evers signed a bill in La Crosse Tuesday that will decriminalize the use of xylazine testing strips. In some states fentanyl and xylazine testing strips are illegal due to them being considered as drug paraphernalia.

Evers says this will mark a milestone in Wisconsin’s fight against substance abuse.

“Over the last several years, we’ve seen rates of substance use disorder and opioid-related deaths on the rise with substances like fentanyl and xylazine tearing through our state and our nation,” says Gov. Evers.

Following a xylazine-related overdose in La Crosse last October, Gundersen Health System emergency medicine physician, Chris Eberlein, wanted everyone to know how dangerous the drug was for people.

“Xylazine is not responsive to Narcan. It greatly increases your risk of death with an overdose and it also causes other problems because of skin necrosis, ulcers, and you actually lose limbs and because of infection,” says Eberlein.

State Representative Jill Billings says Eberlein brought up the issue of xylazine to her. She was then able to create the bill that was signed today.

“We know that when we legalized fentanyl testing strips, people were more likely to use less, to use with a friend, and to let their community know that there is this dangerous drug present,” says Billings.

La Crosse Mayor Mitch Reynolds hopes that this bill can help prevent overdoses and help those who deal with addiction.

“We know that for those of us who have lost family members to an overdose, we know that we cannot help them when they’re gone. The potential for utilization of xylazine test strips to help people make better choices about their drug use is absolutely critical,” says Reynolds.

This bill is similar to the bill that Governor Evers signed in 2021, which decriminalized the use of fentanyl testing strips. Evers says with bills like this, the state can help save more lives and help get folks on a successful path to recovery.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, between 2020 and 2022, the number of opioid-related deaths in Wisconsin increased by nearly 19%.

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